We’re Set To Issue Certificate Of Return To Uzodinma, Says INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has reacted to the Supreme Court’s judgment on Tuesday, which nullified the election of Mr. Emeka Ihedioha of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the governor of Imo State and declared Senator Hope Uzodinma of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the March 9 governorship election in the state.

Mr. Festus Okoye, INEC spokesperson, Wednesday has said the commission is constitutionally and legally bound to give effect to the judgement and orders of the Supreme Court.

He noted that INEC would issue a certificate of return as soon it receives the order of the court.

”The judgement of the Supreme Court is final and the commission is not empowered to question or debate the propriety of the judgement or orders of the Supreme Court,” Okoye told an online newspaper.

”As a public institution, we are constitutionally and legally bound to give effect to the judgements and orders of the Supreme Court. The commission will give effect to the judgement of the court the moment we receive the enrolled order of the court and will issue the candidate the requisite Certificate of Return,” Okoye added.

In the unanimous judgment of the seven-member panel, read by Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, the apex court agreed that results in 388 polling units were unlawfully excluded during the collation of the final governorship election result in Imo State.

Justice Kekere-Ekun said with the addition of the results from 388 polling units, Mr Uzodinma polled a majority of the lawful votes and ought to have been declared the winner of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

She voided and set aside the declaration of lhedioha as the winner of the 2019 governorship election in the South-East state.

The court also ignored Uche Nwosu of Action Alliance (AA), who polled a total of 190,364 votes to clinch the second position, because, it had declared Nwosu an invalid candidate for the election.